Final Sight
Spirit Costume Skill Tiamat’s Storyline Dragon Leader 1 Alven: ...The client told us some young women went missing around this village. According to the witnesses, those women seemed absent-minded. They left the village, heading towards a certain direction. After that, they were never to be seen again. During the following investigation, many witnesses claimed that they saw a gigantic shadow hover above the sky. This shadow seemed to be heading towards the seas around the Dragonhead Cliff… Since you Dragon Clans are familiar with the places here, we could really use your help. Dragon Clan: I see. I’ll report to the Dragon Ancestor and we’ll form an investigation party. Alven: That will be unnecessary. I think a guide will be enough... Dragon Clan: Actually… we have our own problems here. Recently, the monsters on our island were behaving abnormally. Usually, those monsters hid away from us. However, no long ago, some of us were attacked by them. Alven: The monsters dared attack… the Dragon Clan? That would be suicidal! Dragon Clan: Yes, their behaviors completely went against their instincts. Worse still, some monsters even rallied towards the sea, until all of them were drowned… Besides, during the fight, some of our warriors were missing. Alven: ...Would you please mark the direction on my map? Dragon Clan: Okay, that should work. Alven: This line… is overlapped with the place the women went missing and the shadow appeared! Dragon Clan: Maybe these incidents are somehow related… It would be a good idea if we investigate it together. I’ll prepare for our next move. Please have some rest for now. Alven: Thank you. Alven: All these blood stains… Were they left by the monsters? Investigator Leader: Yes, their behavior patterns were extremely abnormal. Monsters from the same herd kept fighting with each other. Many of them even died in the fight. Alven: Speaking of that, the missing women were seen in a trance as well. We must find the scourge of this incident. Investigator Leader: Yes, and we must secure the port before the monsters arrived there. If we really find the missing women there, we’ll need to rescue them by boats. Dragon Clan: Leader! The monsters are gathering ahead! They are coming at us! Investigator Leader: Engage! Help us, human mercenary! Alven: To arms! __________________________________________________________________________________________ Alven: What a mess… They were totally insane… just like those undead creatures... Investigator Leader: And that made them vulnerable to us. Now that we have secured this place, it will end so… Dragon Clan A: Its… Its eyes… I feel… dizzy… Dragon Clan (Hypnotized): ...Enemies… are around us… DIE…!!! Dragon Clan B: Stop! What are you doing! Arghh… Investigator Leader: What’s happening?! Why are you attacking each other! Stop it! Alven: I’m afraid… they are frenzied too, just like those monsters! Dragon Clan (Hypnotized): Too many… enemies… I have to… retreat! Alven: The frenzied Dragon Clans are about to fly off! They are trying to return to the Dragonhead Cliff! We can’t leave them like this... Dragon Clan: They are struggling so desperately! I can’t control them! Investigator Leader: Damn it… Volley! We must stop them! Dragon Clan (Female): But our volley may put them in danger… Investigator Leader: But if we let them go back to the Dragonhead Cliff, more of our people will be in danger! Anyway, I’ll take the responsibility... Tiamat: To abandon your kindreds? Alven: This sound is... Tiamat: Only the ruthless and the silly who mistakenly believe they have the power over others will sacrifice their kindreds that easily. You are dismissed from your position. Still, you have a chance to correct your mistakes. Investigator Leader: Dragon Ancestor! ...I... I’m sorry... Tiamat: Everyone, follow me! Dragon Leader 2 Dragon Clan (Hypnotized): Don’t… stand in my way…! Tiamat: They can’t recognize us… Sorry, it will be a little harsh to you. Take this! Alven: The frenzied Dragon Clans were knocked down into the sea! Tiamat: Everyone, follow my lead! Dragon Clan: Roger that! __________________________________________________________________________________________ Tiamat: The frenzied dragons will put a desperate struggle, even it may make themselves wounded. But we still can stop them, providing we can deprive them of their body control. For example… Strike! Spear of Thunder! Alven: (She attacked… at the sea?) Dragon Clan (Hypnotized): Goarrrrrr! Tiamat: ...The electrified water will shock them, leaving them unconscious for a while. Their consciousness and language ability are influenced. It’s not hard to find out what their thinking ability is disrupted. Dragon Clan (Female): ...Exactly… In fact, we did come to the same conclusion during our research on the frenzied monsters... Tiamat: And that thunder does not require much power. Even you can do it, let alone there is a full squad of warriors here. Dragon Clan (Female): We were… just too shocked to deal with the problem. Tiamat: If so, I have but one suggestion for you. Be stronger. Only when you are strong enough will the path be revealed to you. If you can’t see it, you still have a long way to go. Dragon Clan: … Tiamat: Bring the wounded and the unconscious back, healing them and analyzing their mental status. The rest will follow me. We shall continue the investigation. Dragon Leader 3 Dragon Clan: Ahead of us is the reef area formed by wreckages. Please be careful. Alven: (That wreckage is… a destroyed Mega Golem Dragon. To save the whole dragon clan, Margarita chose to betray Tiamat. To protect the slaughter, Niya chose to sacrifice herself. To defeat Hades, Jerret chose to embrace his death, but his sacrifice was fruitless...) … Tiamat: You have something in your mind, Alven. Alven: ...Yes, but that’s not important. Tiamat: Under this circumstance, there is only one thing that would in your find. If this was really not important to you, you wouldn’t be so hurried to find the White Memory. Alven: You know, I can hide nothing from you. As you said, I was thinking about Niya and some others. Tiamat: So, what do you think of Niya’s choice at that time? Alven: I respect her choice… However, deep in my heart, I think there should be a better solution… For Margarita, for Jerret… and for Shena... Why didn’t they give everything to find the best solution... Tiamat: Do you know why not? Because they know the meaning of “love”. The love towards their kindreds, their partners and their relatives. Because of our love towards the human, we Dragon Clans can purify our mind and discover our true potential. Indeed, the motivation to protect others will grant us power, valor and determination, however, it is a double-edged sword. Over-passionate love also makes us impulsive and narrow-minded, making us indulged in self-centered affection… In this way, we shall fail to realize that we ourselves are also special to whomever we protect… If we rashly sacrifice ourselves, we’ll leave them in permanent anguish. Alven: ...How do you get to this conclusion? Tiamat: Before I became the Dragon Ancestor, I wandered around the world to avoid the internal conflicts… During my journey, I met two partners. They showed me the true meaning of love and how to harness it. One of them is a human, who let me realize the feeling of love, and the agony when that love is lost. The other is a Dragon Clan, who showed me the dark side of love. The craze and obsessiveness originated from the extreme love finally became his undoing. Therefore, I must become strong… strong enough to harness love, instead of being swallowed by it. Alven: ...Don’t be swallowed by love… Tiamat: Enough for chitchat. We can see the land already. This island is not marked on the map. Get ready. Our investigation will start soon. Alven: Got it. I’ll inform the other mercenaries. Alven: ... (The path only revealed when you are strong enough…) How is it? Dragon Clan: No trace of monsters or enemies. Besides, in a cave, we found the traces of bonfire, food debris and some crude clothes for women. Alven: So, someone was here. Dragon Clan: All these traces are quite new. If the kidnapped women were held here, they shouldn’t be far from us. Dragon Clan (Female): There is a hidden passive inside the cave. Come and take a look! Alven: A hidden passage blocked by a huge boulder… Whoever did this must be extremely strong, or skillful in Soul Essence and magic. Dragon Clan (Female): The advance team has entered the passage. They will report to us if they find something. Human Mercenary: Arrrggh…! Alven: The scream?! Dragon Clan: Frenzied monsters are lurking in the passage! Someone looked at their eyes and fell into frenzy, too! Dragon Clan (Female): ...Don’t be panic. Our Dragon Ancestor has shown us what to do. Never easily abandon our allies. Humans can be stunned with physical attacks, and the Dragon Clans cannot fly within the narrow passage. We can easily get them under control! Alven: Great. Then I’ll lead the rest and wipe out the remaining monsters. Dragon Clan (Female): Please. We will guarantee the safety of the humans! Tiamat: … __________________________________________________________________________________________ Alven: Wow… I didn’t expect the kidnapper had a card up his sleeve. He almost got me. Dragon Clan: We have found the kidnapped humans on the basement, but... Alven: But… what happened? Dragon Clan: Just go there take a look. Female Human A: What are you doing here! Are you going to take us back?! Female Human B: Nobody… separates me from my beloved! Female Human C: We really love each other… Please, don’t break us up… Dragon Clan: As you see, they are claiming they have some kind of lovers here and they won’t leave with us. Alven: It’s only been five or six days since these women went missing. It would be too fast for them to have a crush on someone… let alone the face that kidnapped them here. It seems their mind is also disrupted, but this kind of disruption is more purposeful… It makes them to fall in love with some people… Tiamat: Or some Dragon Clans? Alven: But… Why… Tiamat: I felt some familiar presence here… It could be my illusion. They are influenced by hypnosis. Alven: What is that? Tiamat: The caster used spells to influence their cognitive ability, making them firmly believe something unreasonable or changing their thinking and behavior patterns… Namely, a kind of spell that changes target’s personality and influences their memory. Alven: Speaking of that, a stranger in a black robe was rumored to appear in that village… Could it be... Tiamat: The kidnapper, who is able to cast such spells, must be a human magician, or a scholar, or a witch… or… Anyway, we have already found the victims. Let’s bring them back to the Dragonhead Cliff and I will dispel their brainwash. Alven: I agree. I have a bad feeling about this. We really should leave now. Dragon Leader 4 Alven: ...The weather is changing abruptly. Tiamat: I don’t think the kidnapper will let us go this easily. Be prepared for battle. Dragon Clan: Look! A huge shadow is hovering in the clouds! Alven: Is that… a black… dragon?! Tiamat: ...Everyone! Stay behind me! Enchant! My first and second seal! Unseal! Alven: (She unsealed two seals already? When we fought against the Mao, the Witch Empress, she immediately prevailed after she unsealed the second seal…) Dark Dragon: Roar…! Alven: This sound… eh… Why can his roars leave a wound in my body? Tiamat: ...If I had released my true power a bit later, the roar will leave more than some wounds. When you confronted Kui Sha, her power was fully discovered. What you are seeing now is the perfect form of a dragon. Alven: A perfect… dragon?! Tiamat: He is far beyond your capabilities. Leave him to me, and I’ll try everything to stop him! However, I’ll not ask you to merely escape or protect yourselves. All of you are warriors and heroes who will not easily submit to fear. You have your own tasks to do. Go, protect the kidnapped women and secure the route the boats. Don’t let your guard down. Remember, however powerful the enemies may seem, never give up. Alven & Dragon Clan: Roger that! __________________________________________________________________________________________ The golden dragon and the dark dragon are dogfighting on the sky. The clouds are dispersed by the lightning, the dark flame and the explosion from their collision. To defeat the opponent, both of them are fighting with everything they have. This is the way of communication between the controllers of the true power. Tiamat: Arrrggghhh!! Dark Dragon: Humph… Roar!! Tiamat: Strike my enemy! Ancestor’s Thunder Lance! Dark Dragon: ...Flame of sins! Alven: (Tiamat is fighting with all her strength… What kind of horror is that black dragon…?!) Tiamat: … Dark Dragon: … Tiamat: It has been decades since we met last time. When I left my hometown, I thought you would be the new Dragon Ancestor... Out of my expectation, after I went back, I was shocked to know that you were exiled, and stigmatized as... Rasputin, the Wicked Dragon. Answer me! Did you kidnap those women, hypnotizing them and forcing them to fall in love with you, in order to awaken your true power? Rasputin: Exactly. To discover the true power, it’s not enough to hypnotize those humans, but the Dragon Clans must also fall in love with humans. Tiamat: You… you even want to control the dragons? Control us, the honorable dragons? Rasputin: Honorable? With such great power, we dragons are supposed to fly freely on the sky without any constraints… But now, we are completely at the mercy of the humans, ending up in their conspiracies and wars and getting killed! To survive and gain power, some dragons cooperated with humans and betrayed their kindreds. Because of this stupid move, more dragons were involved and killed in a war which should never have broken out. DIdn’t you see that? Outraged by the current situation, I started my research and achieved success. In another word, my research can grant all the dragons the true power. Tiamat: The power not originated from protection or love will only lead you astray. For those who do not understand the meaning of love, the true power of dragon is nothing but a weapon for their unslakable desires. Rasputin: Hahahaha…! These “meanings” can also be created and manipulated! What meaning? What love? All these nonsenses are nothing but excuses from the weaklings! You are too weak to guide us dragons! We dragons don’t need any moral rules! To survive in this imperfect world full of grief and desires, we need nothing but power! If there is a bright future for all the dragons, that would be our total domination over the world! Tiamat: ...The Rasputin I knew was a righteous scholar who cared about the Dragon Clans more than anyone else. What made you become like this? Rasputin: Indeed, I did care about our people. Therefore, I kept searching for the lost knowledge… I believed the key to the future was hidden in the past, in the memories buried by Erin’s Winter. To solve these puzzles, I have to seek ideas from many fields. Therefore, since the Kui Sha incident happened, I had been wandering in the human world in my human form… to get knowledge on essence control, and to understand the technologies from the ancient civilization. After you left, on the Dragon Ancestor election meeting, I announced my conclusions that with the power of technology and magic, we could discover the power sealed by the ancient artifacts, regaining our long-lost glory! However, those morons began to alienate me because I knew these so-called foreign technologies or forbidden knowledge. At last, the expelled me at the charge of illegal dragon subject research. During my research, I have completed understood what love is. Love blinds everyone. To protect those they love, they are even willing to sacrifice themselves… at the cost of their possible future! From then on, I was determined to find a way to harness love… I was thinking, if I could artificially create this status without influencing target’s ability of thinking, wouldn’t that be perfect? Based on this theory, I started my research. As you can see, the result is a great success. Tiamat: ...Why are you doing this? You don’t have any political ambition at all. You are not even interested in power. Rasputin: You have no idea what I found in the treasure of the past… the Ancient Dragon God, the Dragon Essence, the Erin’s Winter, the ancient human, the source of everything, and most of all, the utterly desperate future! I’m willing to sacrifice everything to make us dragons survive this catastrophe. Mind? Emotions? Memories? Comparing with survival, they are worthless! Tiamat: You are always talking about sacrifice, and sacrifice… But in my eyes, there is nothing that must be sacrificed, especially those with special meanings to you. Rasputin: You have no idea about the truth of this world! To gain victory, everyone must make sacrifices! To survive, to preserve the infinite possibilities, we’ll have to keep giving up and sacrificing! My conclusion was correct. You are indulged in your power, failing to think from the perspective of the weak. You are not qualified to guide the Dragon Clan! If you still can’t understand it, I’ll be glad to show you the real cruelty! Come to me! My test subjects! No one shall leave this island alive! Alven: (That black dragon… suddenly became larger?!) Dragon Clan: Enemies are all around us! They are also from the Dragon Clan... But is there something different?! Dragon Clan (Female): The black fire lingering on them… Un… Unbelievable. Though unstable, but it is… the true power of dragons! Dragon Leader 5 Alven: It can’t be happening! Each of them has the true power of dragons?! Dragon Clan: Damn it… We are so doomed... Alven: Stay calm! Have you forgotten the lesson from the Dragon Ancestor? No matter how powerful enemies are, never give up. Watch and consider. We will find the opportunity and defeat them! Dragon Clan: ...Okay! Keep the formation! Protect the targets! Blackfire Dragon: Roar…! __________________________________________________________________________________________ Tiamat: Cough… They are really tough. I’m cornered by merely one strike from him… Taste my strength! Heavenly Lightning! Rasputin: Is this what you’ve got? Tiamat: ...What? ...Just a… scale…?! Rasputin: Have you realized it? Without power, everything you talked about was nothing but nonsense! However, all the dragons are obsessed with those craps! Though known as the talented controller of the true power, you, Tiamat, is actually as weak as a worm. And a worm can’t lead the Dragon Clan. Tiamat: …If you ask me what a powerful dragon is, my answer will not be “a dragon with great power”, but “a dragon never bends to the fate, or threats, or whatever.” In my eyes, by submitting to the unknown horror, believing that something must be sacrificed and giving up the rights to love, you are the weak one. Rasputin: Ha… Hahahahaha…! So, answer me, what will you sacrifice when you have no choice? Tiamat: What… Are you planning… to… to… This powerful is horrifying… I can even see its flow… with my eyes…! Rasputin: Soul essence synchronized. Enchant - Hellfire of Mayhem! Alven: Look! That black dragon is summoning an enormous black fireball! Dragon Clan: We don’t have time to do that. These dragons are also…! Blackfire Dragon: Grrr… Roaaaaaaaaaaaar! Alven: What? All the black dragons are enchanting the same spell! The black fire is generating a barrier! There’s nothing we can do to stop them! Tiamat: Rasputin, you…! Rasputin: I’m targeting at the Dragonhead Cliff. Meanwhile, all my test subjects will explode after the black energy reaches the maximum, destroying everything on this island. You can sacrifice yourself to stop me, but your friends will die. If you choose to save your friends, the whole Dragonhead Cliff will be razed to the ground! Hahahahaha… Yes! Yes! It is the time to choose! Show me your answer!! Tiamat: …...Humph. As you wish. My answer is… Concentration! Heavenly Thunder! Rasputin: Pathetic. Your attack is just a scratch on me. Tiamat: Heavenly Thunder! Rasputin: Stop your meaningless attacks. You would never make a difference. You should weigh the options I offered. Tiamat: ...Heavenly Thunder! Rasputin: Are you totally desperate? You are only comforting yourself by launching these fruitless attacks… Tiamat: Not fruitless… Rasputin: ...What? Another scale is peeled off?! Tiamat: During the previous battle, I noticed that your scale were extraordinarily hard. Therefore, I kept attacking you to see if I can break it… My counterattack that peeled off your first scale was the result from my accumulated attacks. Rasputin: Even if it is true, what is the difference? Just DIE! Tiamat: By pissing you off, I expected you would fire an expanding fireball at me… And that is exactly the moment I’m waiting for. Rasputin: ...What… the direction?! Tiamat: You finally noticed that? The first scale and this scale are on the opposite directions. As a result... My strength, my willpower, my glory. Answer my call and penetrate this dark dragon… Behold my real power! Divine Spear! True Dragon’s Lightning! Rasputin: These little wounds… Curse you… My hellfire is off the target…! However, even if you can stop me, your friends will…! Tiamat: You are not my only target. Alven: An explosion on the sea?! Dragon Clan (Female): The lightning spear from the Dragon Ancestor caused this explosion. Watch out, a tsunami is coming! Blackfire Dragon: Tst… Tsst… My… My breath… Alven: (That is… the sea water is exposed to the black fire and gets vaporized! The hot steam stops them from breathing!) Seize the chance! The black fire has disappeared! Dragon Clan: Now! Fight our way to the boats! Dragon Leader 6 Rasputin: Cough... Cough... You... Tiamat: Think and try. You provided me with the worst two choices, but I found a third one. I will put a stop to your ambition, and I will save that human and other members in the investigation team. For those Dragon Clans controlled by you, I will protect them as well. Rasputin: You... You are too greedy! Tiamat: Greedy? Yes, I am. I am greedy for the bright future where all the good people can enjoy their peaceful life. I'm greedy for the shining path that saves us from death and darkness. If you desire something, you should fight for it. Isn't it what a leader should do? Rasputin: ...Hee... Humph... You got me this time. However, this is just a little test for you... Your enthusiasm won't save you or your clan... for you know nothing about the darkness to come. Tiamat: However hopeless the situation may seem, there must be a perfect solution. This is my belief. Though I'm called as The Invincible on Earth, I know there are scourges that beyond my power. They have caused so many disasters and tragedies. The lack of strength can be covered through various methods. However, if one loses his faith and subdues himself to the darkness, even if there is a perfect path, he will turn a blind eye to it... You know nothing about the true meaning of love, and that path shall never be revealed to you. Rasputin: ... Alven: (That dragon's figure has disappear... It transform into a warrior falling from the sky... and Tiamat catches him.) Tiamat: ...This is not Rasputin... but a missing warrior... Rasputin... What kind of power have you mastered? And towards which direction would you guide this world? '- Epilogue -' Tiamat: So, how is the request going? Alven: It went well. All the hypnotized women have returned to their home... They have forgotten everything, not even the face of their "Dragon Clan lovers". Tiamat: Manipulated emotions are fragile. Alven: And, about that black dragon... Tiamat: That dragon was not Rasputin, but a test subject who was brainwashed, believing himself to be the real Rasputin. I realized it and spared his life. But it also lets us realize that the hypnosis is far beyond our understanding... It can easily push our power to an unimaginable limitation... Rasputin seems to have a greater plan... The Dragon Island... or maybe the whole continent will be thrown into an unprecedented catastrophe. Alven: ...Aisha also had some problems. The truth of the White God, the guardians of the essence, the purpose of the empire and the floating island that suddenly appeared... The situation has been becoming more complicated. But I will remember everything you said and you did. No matter how hopeless the situation may seem, I will trust my partners and never give up! Tiamat: When you are ready, I will be your partner, too. My power will become the lightning that break through the darkness. Together, we shall find the path to victory...! Category:Soul Spirit